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The relationship between environmental sustainability and economic growth has sparked extensive academic and political debates. This study explores the causal dynamics between these factors by comparing the most and least sustainable countries globally. Using a quantitative approach, 20 countries were analysed, and divided into two groups based on their levels of sustainability, from 1990 to 2019. Regression analyses reveal that economic growth drives the adoption of renewable energy, while sustainability practices strongly correlate with better economic performance in more sustainable countries. These findings suggest that sustainability can act as a catalyst for economic growth, especially in developed countries. Simultaneously, in less sustainable countries, economic development may precede and eventually support environmental sustainability. This study contributes to understanding how sustainability practices influence economic growth and vice versa, with implications for the development of policies aimed at integrating environmental and economic objectives.
Teixeira et al. (Wed,) studied this question.